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Give AI a Business Problem Before You Pick a Tool

Start with the work holding your business back, then consider removing it, automating it, delegating it or using AI.

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In one line

Define the business problem before choosing an AI tool or model.

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2 min

Focus

Operations

AI

Ask me where AI fits in your business and I can't give you a useful answer without knowing what you're trying to do.

AI is acceleration. But you need to know where you're going. You can't hit the gas pedal and go off a cliff. You need a map.

When someone wants to use AI, I start with their business constraints. What's holding the work back? What are they trying to solve? Where could a change make a difference?

Choosing a tool or a model comes after those questions.

Give the problem a few possible answers

Once you've identified the constraint, you still have choices about how to deal with it. AI is one of them.

You can automate the work the old-school way. You can remove a step from the workflow altogether. You can delegate the work to a human. Or you can use AI.

Removing the step is worth considering before you build anything around it. If that work doesn't need to happen, you can stop doing it.

Human delegation belongs in the same conversation. So does conventional automation. Starting with the business problem leaves room to consider each option, rather than beginning with a tool and trying to find somewhere to put it.

Start with the work you're trying to change

The useful starting question is specific to your business: what is the constraint you're trying to solve?

Stay with that question long enough to know what you want to change. Then consider whether to remove the work, automate it, delegate it or use AI.

Next step

Need help finding the first problem worth fixing?

Pre-Flight helps you choose one useful place to begin.

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